Multistation transfer equipment



Nov. 30, 1943. E. ISAYEN 2,335,613

MULTISIATION TRANSFER EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 SWAN/WM [war in an m *3 Nov. 30, 1943. E. SAYEN MULTISTATION TRANSFER EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1.942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIJJEI I'Dllllllllll Nov. 30, 1943. E. SAYEN 2,335,613

MULTI STATION TRANSFER EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1942 SSheets-Sheet 3 64 13 0 o 3 w 6Z a /7 I! III- s. 491 39 3 37 o XI! 0 s? 90 4 5'7 35 1529 gwua/wboc ETnEr 5n an Nov. 30, 1943. v E. SAY EN 2,335,613

MULTISTATION TRANSFER EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 12. '1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 &

-' ETflEIT-EIELYEH Nov. 30, 1943.

E. SAYEN MULTISTATION TRANSFER EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 30, 1943 ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,335,613 MULTISTATION TRANSFER EQUIPMENT Emery Sayen, Toledo, Ohio Application August 12, 1942, Serial No. 454,483

Claims.

This invention relates to group handling of articles.

This invention has utility when incorporated in specially locating an assembly of articles, as milk bottles in cases, for delivery of the respective bottles, even to a different assembly or spacing relation to a washer.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a bottle washer, having an embodiment of the automatic transfer equipment or feeder adapted thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation from the right of Fig. 1, parts being broken away, showing some features of the pick-up or elevator for the cases from the supply conveyor, and the bottle engaging means for grasping the bottles as the cases are dropped away therefrom, for the bottles as cleared of the cases, then to be shifted onto the bottle washer conveyor;

Fig, 3 is a view in elevation of the feeder as forming the showing in Fig. 1, the housing being removed;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in plan of the bottle case elevator from the supply conveyor;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bottle engaging means and shifter means as operable in taking the bottles from the cases and delivering into the washer;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of transmission connections from the bottle washer power means or drive, to the case elevator and to the bottle engaging means of the feeder;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the elevator operating lever device;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line VIII-VIII, Fig. 2, showing features of the shifting means for the bottle engaging means, being here in the form of one-way acting rack mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a section on the line IX-IX, Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a View on the line X-X, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow, showing the pinion reversing racks;

Fig. 11 is a view on the line XL-Xl, Fig. 2, showing the bottle engaging means shifting device as operated by the pinion from the racks of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11, showing modified form as a closed path cam, instead of springs against open cam of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a detail view in side elevation of the cam of Fig. 12 and transmission arm connections therefrom;

Fig. 14 is a section on the line XIV-XIV, Fig. 5,

showing suction type of bottle engaging means or pick-up;

Fig. 15 is a grouping of bottle engaging means of spring grapple form, in lieu of the suction or pneumatic device of Fig, 14;

Fig. 16 is a view from the right of Fig. 15, of the release for the bottles picked up by the grapple springs;

Fig. 17 is a section on the line XVII-XVII, Fig. 15, showng the universal joint or rockable mounting to facilitate swinging of the spring grapple into bottle centering engagement;

Fig. 18 is a detail of manifolds and flexible duct connections for the pneumatic engaging means of Figs. 2, 14;

Fig. 19 is a view from the right of Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 shows features of slide and slot for spacing ranges between the pneumatic bottle engaging means, adaptable to differing size or capacity of bottles and characters of cases; and

Fig. 21 is a fragmentary plan view of the slides of Fig. 20 with the pin and slot interengagement therebetween.

Bottle washer I (Figs, 1, 2, 3, 6) has thereon motor 2 connected to rotate shaft 3 having fixed therewith gear I cooperating to actuate the mechanism of the washer I. Extending through the washer I is conveyor 5 for milk bottles 6 received at feed section 1. The milk bottles 6 are given special spacing in delivery at stations provided by pockets or carrier elements 8 for transit through the washer on the conveyor 5.

Power drive for the washer I is from a motor 2, which has transmissions therefrom, in accordance with the invention herein, effective to operate automatic feeding mechanism in transferring bottles 6 in cases 9 urged along in lineal series by conveyor I0 horizontally extending between guides I I to a position crosswise of an end of the Washer I. This supply conveyor I0 is below the conveyor 5 and spaced slightly away therefrom adjacent the feed section I.

The elevator Speed reduction gearing I2 in housing I3 on the washer I (Fig. 6), adjacent the motor 2, rotates shaft I4 connected through bevel gearing I5 with vertical shaft it, having extending therefrom bevel gear connection H to lower horizontally extending shaft I8. Bearing brackets I9 on the washer I carry the shaft I8 to bevel gear connection 20 rotating horizontal shaft 2I terminally carrying disk 22. Drive therefrom is effective for direct lifting of a group of cases 9 from the conveyor I0 with quick descent and time 41 to carry a pinion 48 (Fig. 10).

tray sections 29 to lift a group of the cases 9 from the conveyor III,

The bottle transfer The shaft I4 has crank connection by means of adjustable link 30 (Fig. 6) to reciprocate rod 3I in brackets extending along the side of the washer I horizontally above the shaft I8. The free end of this rod 3I beyond the brackets 32 has angular extension 33 (Figs. 2, 3, From the extension upward and inward, there is downward and inward extension 34 to detachable connection 35 with truck or carriage 36 having wheels 31 on tracks 38 mounted on brackets from uprights 39.

The truck 36 has secondary tracks 40 engaged by rollers 4| for groupers 42 having bottle engaging means 43. In the instance that cases 9 are for quart milk bottles, the bottles being in four rows of three bottles each, the grouper 42 as a minor truck, may have similarly arranged such series of bottle engaging means 43. Inasmuch as the stations 8 in the washer I at the feed section I are approximately uniformly spaced, there is occasion for some departures in the washer from the bottle positions, especially as between cases 9. Accordingly, as the elevator lifts the cases with the bottles 8, it is important that this automatic feeder be effective in locating the respective engaging means 43 in registering position with each of the bottles in the case 8.

There is timed movement of the truck 88 away from the washer I and to a position over the conveyor III. The structure carrying the primary truck 86 with its secondary trucks 42 has thereover a track 44 from the washer I with central bracing 45 (Fig. 3). Wheels 46 on the track 44 movably mount over-carriage section In the outward travel, a fixed guide or wedge 49 holds a rack 50 to rotate the pinion 48. This angular shifting of the pinion 48 turns to like extent the vertical shaft 5I on which the pinion is fixed with cam 52. Rollers 53, acting against the resistance of compression springs 54, thrust pusher elements 55 (Figs. 2. 11). The cam 52 is so designed that this shifting of the elements 55 acts on rods 58 to carry its grouper 42 to accommodate the clearance of the bottles 6 from the bottles in the intermediate case 9.

In this outward transit of the section 41 from the washer I, the pinion 48 is acted upon only by the rack 58. In the outward travel of the pinion 48, it is clear of a rack 51 retracted by a fixed wedge cam 58, the reverse of the cam wedge 49, to act upon depending portions 59 (Figs. 8, 9, to retract the rack 51 clear of the pinion 48. As the carriage 41 is retracted the rack 51 is in mesh for rotating the pinion 48 and the cam 52 fixed on the shaft 5|, as is the pinion 48. Rollers 53 as urged by springs 54, ride into the shorter radius portions of the cam 52. During the further retraction transit of the carriage section, the wedge 49 retracts the rack 50 to be clear of the pinion 48.

The pneumatic bottle engagement control The motor 2 has drive connection to suction pump 60 connected to vacuum tank 6| (Figs. 1, 2, 14, 18, 19) having duct 62 therefrom to valve 63 which has its arm turned through an angle by the upward travel of the bar means 64 from the tray device 29. In this operation, the means 84 (Figs. 2, 5) opens the valve 63 for sub-atmospheric pressure to prevail in manifolds 65, and by way of flexible tube connections 66 therefrom to respective friction or flexible rubber cone centering devices 61 mounted in the groupers 42. Passage 88 central of each device 61 so exhausts the respective bottles as thrust thereover by the elevator that the uncracked or good bottles are retained as the case rapidly descends. This is thus an automatic sorting device for good bottles. The rapid interval of case descent is followed, at once the bottles are clear of the case, by the return travel of the trucks, the rack 51 shifts the devices in changing the spacing between the bottles. As the bottles are positioned at the stations 8, the carriages, carrying bar means 69 (Figs. 2, 5) close the valve 63 and simultaneously release the vacuum holding operations at the devices 61. The respective bottles 6 are thus freed from the suction support and drop clear of the respective means 43, one bottle at each station 8.

Stop I8 (Fig. 3) precludes out travel excess for w the carriages, while stop II effects proper inward positioning.

This means that there is insured at the forward travel, an appropriate location for the bottle engaging means to function upon the lifted bottles, while at the recover position, the bottle release is timely and in the places desired. The timing is such for automatic operation that synchronism may be maintained. Incoming fully charged cases 9 of bottles 8 may shove along the emptied cases 9, for the newly arrived cases to be elevated, bottles removed and such returned. In practice, an attendant may efl'ect speed up, altho the conveyor I0 does not stop during the elevator oper-- ation, but may accumulate cases for entrance at once to fill the tray 29. As cases may be adapted to containers or bottles of varying or different capacities, such as two quart sizes, pints, half pints, or otherwise depart in dimension for the articles to be transferred, groupers 42 in conformity thereto may be installed. To this end pin I2 (Figs. 2, 3) and bolts I3 permit carriage withdrawals for replacement. In the pneumatic control, manifold connectors I4 may be disconnected.

The pneumatic control for engaging, readily permits ranges of flexibility for variable spacing of the device 61, say by slide slots and pin mechanism I5 (Figs. 20, 21).

The mechanical engagement control Instead of pneumatic control for bottle engagement means, grouper I6 (Figs. 15, 16, 17) may have springs 11 supporting crosshead I8, having fixed therewith depending stems I8 to bottle entering cones 80. At the outer travel limit for the grouper I5 as over the elevator, the elevator trays 28 thrust the cases 8 to have the cones enter the bottle necks to center the respective bottles to have the outwardly extending lips or ribs 8| of the bottle top engaged by yieldable arms or springs 82 fixed with the grouper IS in pairs for a bottle therebetween. As the grouper I8 recedes to the washer I, fixed wedge or cam-83 acts on the crosshead 18 further to compress the helical springs 11, and thereby cause the centering cones 80 to push the bottles away from the grouper into landing positions at the stations 8. Universal joint or rocking bearing 84 permits a range for directing the cones 80.

Closed cam 85 (Figs. 12, 13) has cam way 86 for cam rollers 81 to thrust rods 88 in the pushing control for the grouper or minor trucks 42.

Under the set up herein, as the trucks have moved away from the elevator and to position at the station 1 for the bottles 5 to be released, there is safeguard provision in bar 89 (Fig. 2) to hold the bottles in any slight descent to the washer structure from rolling or falling away.

The groupers 42, whether thrust outward by the cam device 52 (Fig. 11) or the closed cam 85 (Fig. 12) at the increased radius position, automatically recovers or retracts as the reduced radius portions of the cams come into play. This is effected by tension helical springs 9|! (Fig. 5) against which the outward thrusts have been effective.

The primary truck 36, may adjacent the termini of its forward track 40, have extension 9| to ride under the track 38. The purpose of this slide guide is to avoid any tendency of the truck to tilt as thrust out or pulled back by the rod 3| and the connections 33, 34 therefrom.

From the foregoing it is to be seen that applicant provides an automatic feeder for a bottle washer, in which cases 9 of dirty empty milk bottles 6 arebrought by conveyor 18 to position adjacent the washer I having the feed section I. It has been found desirable to have an inspector, and such duties need not require any lifting. In lieu of stop for holding the received cases 9 in register with the trays 29 for the lift, the inspector may care for such timing or positioning, and likewise that the conveyor l0 clears the empty cases 9 from the trays 29, in the event such empties cases be not elsewhere shifted.

Upon the trays 28 reaching the upward shift limit the bottle gripping or engaging means, say 43, if pneumatic, has the suction thereto. The suction is brought into action by the trip or bar means 54 in opening the valve 63. Mechanically, the upward thrust of the bottles 6 by the trays 29 may cause the springs 82 (Fig. to engage the lips 8| of the bottles. In either event, the

tray drive control (Fig. 7), at once allows the cases 9 to descend clear of the suspended bottles 6.

In synchronism with this clearing of the bottles from the cases, the transmission from the washer drive, is effective. The transmission to the tray control is by way of shafts l8, 2| (Fig. 3), while reciprocable rod 3| has now become active to retract the truck mechanism which has the suspended bottles 6.

During this transit of the truck mechanism, reassembly of the bottle engaging means may occur. The rockable joints or bearings 84 (Figs. 14, 1'7) may account for partial misalignment of the cones 61, 80. Wider arrangement schedule is allowed by pin and slide scheme 15 (Figs. 20, 21). The flexible ducts 66 allow for the shiftings. In those instances where the practice may involve more or less standardized type of milk cases 9, such re-grouping may be in order to the major extent as between the abutting cases, inasmuch as herein disclosed a full charge for the washer I may take several cases, herein shown as three. The cam 52 (Fig. 11) for a control rotation, or the cam 85 (Fig. 12) for During this recover interval, the rack device (Fig. 10) allows the springs to bring the suspended bottles into appropriate register position as to the stations 8, at which time the engaging means automatically release the bottles 6 as device 69 cuts off the suction from the valve 63 and allows atmospheric pressure to enter. For the mechanical control, the cam 83 effects freeing of the bottles 5 (Figs. 15, 16). The bottles are thus released to the washer at the respective washer stations 8. The stations, positions or locations 8 are at the respective spacings for placement therefrom into registry with the brushes of the washer.

The cycle is repeated to care for the succeeding supply of cases by the truck being thrust outward over the trays 29 for the next lift of cases charged with the milk bottles to be cleaned.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Equipment for transferring articles from a supply way to a handling apparatus wherein the spacing between the articles on the way is different from that in' the apparatus, comprising a carriage movable relatively to the way and positioned thereabove, said carriage including article gripping means shiftably mounted thereon, thrusting means positioned adjacent the way for moving articles from the way into engagement with the gripping means, and control means responsive to the travel of the carriage for relatively shifting the gripping means as the carriage moves toward the apparatus, whereby the desired respacing of the articles is obtained.

2. Equipment for transferring articles from a supply way to a handling apparatus wherein the spacing between the articles on the way is different from that in the apparatus, comprising a track horizontally extending from above the way and toward the apparatus, a carriage mounted on the track for travel between the way and apparatus, said carriage including article gripping means shiftably mounted thereon, thrusting means positioned adjacent the way for moving articles from the way into proximityto the gripping means, said gripping means as shiftably mounted being movable into registry with the articles to be transferred, and control means responsive to the travel of the carriage for relatively shifting the gripping means as the carriage moves toward the apparatus, whereby the desired respacing of the articles is obtained.

3. Equipment for transferring articles from a supply way to a handling apparatus wherein the spacing between the articles on the way is different from that in the apparatus, comprising a carriage movable relatively to the way and positioned thereabove, said carriage including article gripping means shiftably mounted thereon, upwardly effective thrusting means for lifting articles from the way into engagement with the gripping means, and control means responsive to the travel of the carriage for relatively shifting the gripping means as the carriage moves toward the apparatus, whereby the desired respacing of the articles is obtained.

4. Equipment for transferring articles from a supply way to a handling apparatus wherein the spacing between the articles on the way is different from that in the apparatus, comprising a carriage movable relatively to the way and posisupply way to a handling apparatus wherein the spacing between the articles on the way is different from that in the apparatus, comprising a track horizontally extending from above the way and toward the apparatus, a carriage mounted on the track for travel between the way and apparatus, said carriage including article gripping means shiftably mounted thereon, upwardly effective thrusting means for lifting articles from the way into engagement with the gripping means, control means responsive to the travel of the carriage for relatively shifting the gripping means as the carriage moves toward the apparatus, whereby the desired respacing of the articles is obtained, and power transmission mechanism for the thrusting means and carriage in sequence for transit of the articles.

EMERY SAYEN. 

